11/08/2017: Transforming connectivity with live remote viewing

In fact, fish farming has achieved higher growth rates than any other food
production sector in the past 40 years and it continues to grow at an
impressive rate, typically enjoying five to six percent annual increases in
production.

However, unlike beef and pork farmers, fish farmers face unique challenges
associated with breeding food animals under the sea. Technological innovation
to address these challenges has lagged in comparison to many other industries.

Fortunately, this has begun to change over the past few years, as recent
advances in underwater drones (known in the industry as Remotely Operated
Vehicles (ROVs) and underwater camera systems have helped make aquaculture
safer, more efficient and more profitable.

Now, new digital platforms and cloud connectivity are about to transform the
industry, bringing with them enterprise operations management capabilities
designed to take aquaculture to the next level.

Last October, I traveled to Chile to take part in the four-day AquaSur 2016
conference. I was able to spend a few hours at a local fish farm, seeing the
operations firsthand and speaking with the operators to deepen my understanding
of aquaculturists’ challenges and needs.

I have long known that frequent monitoring and inspections of the livestock,
internal and external predator nets, and water quality are essential to the
success of any aquaculture operation.

During my visit, I also received significant insight into just how costly,
time-consuming and inefficient it can be to send divers into the water to
inspect the fish, cages or pens, and water quality, and then have them document
their findings manually. The information they gather must be documented
manually, after the fact, which limits the thoroughness and accuracy of those
inspection reports.

Plus, there is inherent risk for divers conducting underwater inspections. More
importantly, it isn’t practical to have continuous diver inspections. If
something happens in between inspections such as seals successfully breaching
the predator net, the result could be a significant financial loss.

Feed represents a significant percentage of a fish farm’s operating costs; as
much as 75 percent in some finfish operations, according to NOAA. I also
learned that overfeeding could have a negative environmental impact, thanks to
the discharge of nutrients from the uneaten feed that drifts into the water
columns. And I saw for myself the challenge of collecting morts that don’t
naturally make their way into the mort collection area on their own.Read the full article, HERE.

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